What a run. What a career. Anyone who said he doesn't deserve to break the record can grab an anvil and jump off a cliff.

Utilizing the belief system and work ethic (Mattributes) of THE Matt Hardy to create a better life for yourself by fulfilling your goals and dreams. Mattitude is a quality that can help anyone -- regardless of background or past -- to achieve success. You just have to make it a lifestyle, a mindset, a religion. Mattitude, is something that can not be taught or learned. Mattitude is something that burns within. In the ring, Mattitude is the intangible, the x-factor, that gives me an advantage over everyone else.

Originally posted by kazhayashi81What a run. What a career. Anyone who said he doesn't deserve to break the record can grab an anvil and jump off a cliff.

How about I just slap you with a fish instead?

Emmitt was/is a good running back, but not a great running back. I believe he owes a great deal of his success to the Dallas offense as a whole. He ran behind one of the pre-eminent offensive lines in the history of the NFL for most of a decade. The presence of "Moose" Johnston gave the Cowboys another credible running threat in the backfield. The Aikman/Irvin tandem forced defenses to respect the pass, which in turn also helped the running game. Admittedly, Emmitt also proved durable, which allowed him to be around to make hundreds upon hundreds of rushing attempts, building up a few yards each time - which all adds up in the end.

Now look at (the new) #2 and #3. Payton was the only bright spot in an otherwise terrible Bears offense for years. Only near the end of his career did the Bears gain players like McMahon, Suey, Gault, and Neal Anderson - players whose talents helped shift the focus off of Payton, making their offense more productive as a whole. If Payton had an offense like Dallas' around him for his entire career, he could have had 20,000 yards.

And Barry Sanders (#3)? He was it for the Lions. They never gave him much of anything to work with - with the exception of WR Herman Moore. If Sanders had an offense like Dallas' around him, I doubt that he would have retired, and I believe that the running game in the NFL would have been a more exciting place for it.

Yes, Emmitt has the record. With a little effort, he could probably pick up Payton's record for 100-yard games (he would only need three such games to take the record). Would that make him a great running back? Not to me - he'd simply be a well-recognized running back.

Perhaps rooting for Green Bay - where we haven't had a franchise running back in years - colors my perceptions. But that's the way I see it, regardless.

Stephanie pretty much sums up my point, only without the anger and swearing I would bring to the table right now. Just a couple of added points:

-If Emmitt plays until he's 50, which he might just do, I don't think he'll get 3 more 100 yard games.

-At least Walter had the decency to retire when he started having sub-stellar seasons. Thankfully he didn't want to stick around averaging less than 70 yds per game and clogging up the process of getting a new running back for the future developed.

-There are no words for how awful the team around Walter was. I have just 2 words for you...Bob Avellini. I could mention some other Bears QB's of that time frame, but that would give them far more recognition than they deserve.

-Only man with a worse offense than Walter may have been Barry. The Andre Ware era may be the football equivalent of the Black Scorpion storyline in wrestling for sheer wretchedness. I hated Barry when he played (divisional opponent and all), but by god was he amazing.

-Well, does Emmitt deserve the record? Sure, he gained the yards. Does he deserve to be mentioned in the top 15 running backs of all time? Absolutely not. This is a man who was never even the best active running back, let alone one of the best of all time. He was a nice plugging back who happened to be on one of the most complete teams of all time. Only thing I can compare it to is when before the 1984 season Walter and Franco Harris were both gunning for Jim Brown's record. This is what it would have been like if Franco had gotten it, a very good player who was in the right place at the right time.

Oh well, while I can't speak for the future, no one who ever saw Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith play will ever confuse the two of them. RIP #34, you're still the best RB who ever played the game, record or not.

What exactly is your definition of a sub-stellar season? And, isn't it kinda harsh to ask a guy to be stellar for his entire career? Isn't it enough that he was a consumate professional that worked hard and played well, and that he was able to play for 13 years and come across the rushing record? Sure, he had better talent around him than Sanders and Payton did for the majority of his career, but the man has only had three seasons of less than 1200 yards, and would not have a season under a thousand yards if it weren't for 1990, and whatever the reason was that he didn't get that many carries (937 yards). His Yards Per Carry avg has only dipped below 4.0 three times in his career, and he has the most rushing touchdowns of all time. To say he doesn't deserve the record is ludicrous. What was he supposed to do...retire in the middle of the football game?

(edited by Whitebacon on 28.10.02 0627)"HHH, you should probably do the job here to put RVD over for the good of the company." "Vince, I'm just a caveman! I was out hunting when I fell in some ice and was unfrozen by your scientists. Your future world frightens and confuses me. You say these words like "job" and "put over" and "good of the company" but my primative mind can't grasp these concepts!"---Vince Mcmahon/Unfrozen Caveman Wrestler, Dr. Unlikely 17.9.02

From the desk of Swordsman YenWhen you talk about the elite running backs in the NFL, you could make a case for every one of them as to who's the greatest of all time. But to say Emmitt doesn't belong in the 15 greatest of all time is ridiculous. The argument that Emmitt only benefitted from a stellar offense makes it sound like any hack out there could've accomplished the same feats that Emmitt has throughout his career if they had Troy, Michael, and Moose on the team. You still have to show up with talent and a work ethic like Emmitt has to be able to rush all those yards.

If you think Payton or Sanders are better, you may have a point, but give Emmitt his due. At least he earned every bit of his record and didn't have somebody take a dive for him to get it.

"I don't care what people think. People are stupid." -- Charles Barkley

And besides, Emmitt has a couple four of those rings that Payton has one of (and I'm sure he'd want more) and Barry has none from being on those early to mid 90's Cowboy teams.

"HHH, you should probably do the job here to put RVD over for the good of the company." "Vince, I'm just a caveman! I was out hunting when I fell in some ice and was unfrozen by your scientists. Your future world frightens and confuses me. You say these words like "job" and "put over" and "good of the company" but my primative mind can't grasp these concepts!"---Vince Mcmahon/Unfrozen Caveman Wrestler, Dr. Unlikely 17.9.02

Whitebacon just made my point, probably inadvertantly. Being running back in a dynastic team just shows that a great group of players lets the whole be greater than the sum of the parts. And just off the top of my head, a group of running backs that I would consider better than Emmitt, sticking to approximately the 50's and beyond (apologies to Red Grange, Bronco Nagurski, etc.):Walter PaytonBarry SandersJim BrownO.J. SimpsonGale SayersEarl CampbellEric DickersonMarcus AllenBo Jackson

Emmitt admittedly is very durable, and has been lucky to avoid any of the truly debilitating injuries like Sayers or Jackson had. But I don't think that alone qualifies you or, in the inverse, disqualifies you.

As to the last thing, regarding sub-stellar, I guess my problem is with the idea that Emmitt played this season seemingly just so he could get to the record. There's a sense that these yards this year are almost ceremonial, somehow detached from the progression of the Dallas Cowboys. And now there's a sense that "okay, we got the old guy his record, let's begin actually working for the future and getting Hambrick ready now."

Though just to show I'm not a true spoilsport, I'd like to add I just read an anecdote about Emmitt and Connie Payton, regarding their activities on 9/11/01, and I'd like to say that's one of the classiest things I've ever read in a long time. I don't think Emmitt was the RB Payton was, but it sounds like he certainly has the heart and decency equal to Walter.

I never said that Emmitt was the greatest RB of all time, I'm saying that it is preposterous to say that he doesn't deserve the record. These are two different things. He deserves to be mentioned among the best of all time though, he's just not at the top of the list.

Edit: And another thing, if you are rushing for 16,000 yards, there are many seasons there where your line isn't terrible, the Cowboys line is just well known. Many offensive lines get ZERO or little credit for the jobs that they do.

(edited by Whitebacon on 28.10.02 1023)"HHH, you should probably do the job here to put RVD over for the good of the company." "Vince, I'm just a caveman! I was out hunting when I fell in some ice and was unfrozen by your scientists. Your future world frightens and confuses me. You say these words like "job" and "put over" and "good of the company" but my primative mind can't grasp these concepts!"---Vince Mcmahon/Unfrozen Caveman Wrestler, Dr. Unlikely 17.9.02

Umm... F$*K Barry Sanders! That quitter does not deserve any mention for the greatest RB of all time! I do not care how bad your team is, you play the damned game. Yep- the Lions have seen some pretty bad times, but like a big F'ing wuss crybaby, Barry took his ball ans went home. There is ZERO greatness in that. What, you only play when you are going to win?I am a die-hard Lions fan, and I hate the Cowboys with a passion. But Emmitt is something special. He has stuck with his team through lean times, and great times (unlike "BS!" Barry Sanders). He is a motivater- look at his lashing back against Terrell Owens after the star incident. So he is not a flashy runner. He is a TOUGH straight ahead back. And he never gives up- even if the run is a short burst through the line, he still works to gain every inch before he is down. I see so many backs who know that they are going to be tackled, and just go down if the play does not mean much. Emmitt tries to get as much as he can on EVERY PLAY. He may not be "sweetness," but he is the best since Payton. I for one, say congratulations!

I'm positive I'd not rank Emmitt Smith as the greatest running back of all time, but I'd surely have him near the top of the pile. When I think of Smith at his best I think of him in that ``falling over'' pose, where his torso is horizontal, his legs are churning, and you can't see how he's even still on his feet, let alone stomping for 5 or 10 more yards. Effort and class, all the way. Sure he had a great offensive line and lead blocker for much of his career, but that's no reason to take away from his accomplishments.

As for Barry Sanders, I'd have rated him a step above Smith, just because he was so beautiful to watch; pulling cuts and moves that made defenders look positively sick. I always thought he was a class act, too, but evidently I wasn't paying close attention when he retired, as others seem to think he ``didn't do it right.''

/tarnish...

how come you're so afraid of things that dont make any sense to you? do you water your raisins daily? do you have any raisins? is there anything that does make sense to you? are you afraid of twelve button suits? how come you're so afraid to stop talking?

Originally posted by Pool-BoyUmm... F$*K Barry Sanders! That quitter does not deserve any mention for the greatest RB of all time! I do not care how bad your team is, you play the damned game. Yep- the Lions have seen some pretty bad times, but like a big F'ing wuss crybaby, Barry took his ball ans went home. There is ZERO greatness in that. What, you only play when you are going to win?I am a die-hard Lions fan, and I hate the Cowboys with a passion. But Emmitt is something special. He has stuck with his team through lean times, and great times (unlike "BS!" Barry Sanders). He is a motivater- look at his lashing back against Terrell Owens after the star incident. So he is not a flashy runner. He is a TOUGH straight ahead back. And he never gives up- even if the run is a short burst through the line, he still works to gain every inch before he is down. I see so many backs who know that they are going to be tackled, and just go down if the play does not mean much. Emmitt tries to get as much as he can on EVERY PLAY. He may not be "sweetness," but he is the best since Payton. I for one, say congratulations!

I hate to tell you, Pool-Boy, but only the Bengals are keeping the Lions from being the most hapless team in the NFL. They haven't won a championship since what - 1957? They squander their high picks (see Ware, Andre) and have little success with the talent they do acquire. Even the Bengals can look back on their trips to the Super Bowl in 1981 & 1988 as they flounder - even if the 49ers beat them both times. What do Lions fans look at - being swept out of wildcard-round games? Being flattened by Washington in the 1991 NFC Championship game?

Barry Sanders wanted to play for a winner. I believe that a player with that talent has that right. The Lions wouldn't let him leave - so he retired. I agree, it's a bad way to leave. However, if you were a talented worker - able to get a job at any company in your field - and were stuck in a lousy job with a hapless company, and the boss refused to fire you or send you to a better office, wouldn't you quit?

Yup- The Lions have squoundered a lot...Barry signed a contract, and accepted a signing bonus (Which he fought tooth and nail against giving back..). There is a difference between signing a contract for a certain number of years and then walking out mid-season.Barry refused to take a "leadership" role on that team. He did not try to affect any change on the Lions, he simply waited for it to get better and quit when it did not get better fast enough.Yeah, it is tough to be a Lions fan, since they suck so terribly bad over many, many years... but hey, one day....

Originally posted by Pool-BoyYup- The Lions have squoundered a lot...Barry signed a contract, and accepted a signing bonus (Which he fought tooth and nail against giving back..). There is a difference between signing a contract for a certain number of years and then walking out mid-season.Barry refused to take a "leadership" role on that team. He did not try to affect any change on the Lions, he simply waited for it to get better and quit when it did not get better fast enough.Yeah, it is tough to be a Lions fan, since they suck so terribly bad over many, many years... but hey, one day....

Barry fought tooth and nail from giving it back because the Lions promised to improve. The Lions failed to deliver. Barry asked to be traded or released and the Lions said no. So Barry retired. Much like Corey Dillon will likely do after the Bungles go 0-16 this season.

WIENER OF THE DAY! July 6, 2002!

I have as much authority as the Pope, I just don't have as many people who believe it. --George Carlin

I'm sorry, but being on good teams shouldn't hurt how good Emmitt Smith is. He's has ran every single one of those yards himself, it's not like he jumped on Troy Aikman's back and Troy gave him a piggy back ride. He ran every single yard.

Oh yeah, and that guy named Jerry Rice, you know who i'm talking about don't you? Yeah he had Joe F'n Montana throwing to him, and then STEVE YOUNG. They were the best quarterbacks in the league at the time so by the same theory wouldn't that mean that Jerry Rice isn't really the best receiver since he had such good quarterbacks throwing to him?